『Abstract
Biotite is widely used for Rb-Sr and K-Ar isotopic dating and
influences Sr isotope geochemistry of hydrological regimes. The
isotopic system of biotite behave diversely in response to surface
weathering; i.e. the complete preservation of original Rb-Sr and
K-Ar isotopic ages or dramatic reduction. In this study, we have
explored the relation between the behavior of isotopic systems
and complex weathering processes of biotites in the weathering
profiles distributed on the Mesozoic granitoids in South Korea.
In the lower parts of the profiles, biotite in the early stages
of weathering was transformed into either oxidized biotite or
hydrobiotite, with a mass release of 87Sr and 40Ar
forced by the rapid oxidation of ferrous iron. During the transformation
to oxidized biotite, 87Sr and 40Ar were
preferentially released relative to Rb and K, respectively, via
solid-state diffusion through the biotite lattice, resulting in
a drastic reduction of original isotopic age. The reduction of
Rb-Sr age was greater than that of K-Ar age because K was preferentially
released over Rb whereas 87Sr and 40Ar were
released proportionally to each other. However, during the transformation
of biotite to hydrobiotite (i.e., to regularly interstratified
biotite-vermiculite), 87Sr Rb, 40Ar, and
K were completely retained in the alternating biotite interlayer,
and thus the original isotopic age can be preserved. In the upper
parts of the profiles, where iron oxidation was almost completed,
87Sr, Rb, 40Ar, and K were gradually and
proportionally released, with no further significant change in
isotopic age during the gradual transformation of the early-formed
oxidized biotite into hydrobiotite and vermiculite or during their
final decomposition to kaolinite. The ratios and amounts of isotopes
released from weathered biotites are dependent upon the degree
of iron oxidation and the pathways of mineralogical transformation.
Regional and local variations in isotopic systems affected by
particular weathering processes should be considered when dating
biotite or biotite-bearing rocks in weathering environments, modeling
the transfer of Sr isotopes to hydrologic regimes, and tracking
the provenance of sediments.』
1. Introduction
2. Samples
3. Methods
4. Results
4.1. Pathways of biotite weathering
4.1.1. Transformation to oxidized biotite
4.1.2. Transformation to hydrobiotite
4.2. Rb-Sr and K-Ar isotopic systems of weathered biotites
4.2.1. Rb-Sr system
4.2.2. K-Ar system
5. Discussion
5.1. Origin of the diverse responses of Rb-Sr and K-Ar isotopic
systems
5.1.1. Oxidized biotite
5.1.2. Hydrobiotite
5.1.3. Relation between Rb-Sr and K-Ar systems
5.2. Implications
5.2.1. Isotopic dating
5.2.2. Sr isotopic compositions of hydrological regimes
6. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References